Electric-light system



2 Sheets-Sheet 1..

(No Model.)

B. E. SUNNY.

ELEGTRIG LIGHT SYSTEM.

No. 385,020. Patented June 26, 1888.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

B. E. SUNNY.

ELECTRIC LIGHT SYSTEM.

No. 385,020. Patented June 26, 1888.

"iUNiTnn STATES BERNARD E. SUNNY, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SP5- CIFI GATE Application filed March 5, 1888.

To CLZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that BERNARD E. SUNNY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Electric-Light Systems, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to electric lighting; and its object is to provide means of controlling the duration of service of different lamps of the system from the central station.

In are systems of electric lighting the lamps are placedin series. Fiftyor morelamps maybe placed in the same circuit. These lamps, however, will be distributed among several different customers or users, and the different users are charged a rate which is determined by the duration of service. For example, at one place of business lamps may be required until eight oclocl; in the evening, and at another store until twelve ocloeli. It is therefore necessary to provide for cutting out the lamps of different customers at different hours, in order that there may he no useless burning of the lamps.

Heretofore it has been usual to send an attendant from point to point along the arc circuit to cut out the lamps of different customers at difthrent times. In certain cases customers have no need of service in the early part of the evening, and therefore it has been necessary to send a man to switch thelamps of such customer into circuit at the proper time. It has also been attempted to determine the duration of service of lamps of different customers by the amount of carbon consumed, leaving the customers to cut the lamps in and out of circuit at will. This latter method of do termining the service has been found unsatisfactory, by reason of its inaccuracy and the liability of customers to make mistakes as to the actual duration of the service. For these reasons it is of great advantage to absolutely control the time of service from a single point, preferably the central station. This I have accomplished by means of an independent circuit extending to diflerent users stations in connection with an electro magnetic switch ing device at each of said. stations operated by LESTRiC LI GHT SYSTEM.

l 'i' forming part of Letters Patent \TQ. 385,020, dated June 26,1888.

Serial No. 266,183. (No model.)

] current sent over thcindcpemlent ci rcuitfroni the central station, as hereinafter described.

I will describe my invention in connection with an are system of electric lighting. It is evident, however, that the electromagnetic switching device and independent circuit might be used for cutting out or in any other form of electric illuminating device from its circuit.

My invention is illustrated in the accon1panying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a diagram showing a single arelight circuit with a series of are lamps included therein, with an independent circuit passing from the central station through the different users stations and switching apparatus, whereby any one or more of the lamps may he cut in or out of circuit at pleasure. In Fig. 2 I have illustrated, somewhat in do tail, a polarized switching device, in connection with ClIOHlhOPClllIlg mechanism, for cut ting lamps in or out of the are circuit.

Referring to Fig. 1, the dynamo-electric machine a supplies current to the circuit Z). This circuit b may contain any desired number of lamps. I have shown five users stations upon this oircuit-that is to say, stations 0, d, e,f, and g. The circuit it extends through circuitchanging devices 2', 7;, Z, m, and it, placed, respectively, in connection with different users stations. By means of a pole changing switch, 0, current may be sent in either direction, as desired, over the circuit.

By means of the electromagnetic switching devices at the different stations included in the independent circuit the lamp or lamps of any subscriber may be cut in or cut out of the lamp-circuit by sending current over the independent line in the proper direction.

In Letters Patent No. 339,718, granted Ernest I. \Varner, April 13, 1886, is shown an individual electric signal device of the character required in my system herein described. I have not, therefore, considered it necessary to illustrate the cireuit-changing devices used at the different users stations more in detail.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a lamp, 2), in an arccircuit and a shunt-wire closed by the same, said shunt-wire including the armature-lever g,whioh forms a part of my polarized electro' magnetic switch. The pole-changing switch 0 is arranged in such manner that when turned to the right current will be sent in one direc-' tion, and when turned to the left current will be sent to line in the opposite direction. Armature-lever q is shown in its normal position, the lamp 1) being cut out.

Referring now to Fig. 1, it will be understood that a similar polarized electromagnetic switch is provided in connection with each of the diiferent clocks shown.

The magnet 1' (shown in Fig. 2) is usually termed the starting magnet of the circuitopening mechanism,since when it is energized its armatnre,which carries the dog 8, is lifted, so as to start the mechanism. The circuitopening mechanisms are thus all'started simultaneously. The cams, however, are placed in different positions, so that the shuntwire around the electro-magnets of the polarized electromagnetic switching device of one mechanism only will be brought into circuit at once. The time during which any particular electromagnetic switch is included in the circuit is indicated upon the time-indicator a at the central station. Thus while the pointer of the indicator to is passing over the space dun ing which the shunt-wire w of any particular indicator is open the operator, by means of the switch 0, may send current in the desired direction to cut out or cut in the lamp or group of lamps of that particular station.

By providing a polarized electromagnetic switching device, as described, the different lamps may be brought into circuit or disengaged from the circuit. If said device were not polarized, the armature q, which is a permanent magnet, could be moved positively only in one direction.

My invention admits of various modifications which will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and I therefore do not limit myself to the construction shown.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire, to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with an arc-light circuit having the lamps thereon distributed at different stations, of an independent circuit containingindividualelectromagneticcircuitchanging devices, said devices being distributed at different stations, a polarized electromagnetic switch device connected with each individual electromagnetic circuit-changing device, and included in a shunt-wire around a particular lamp or lamps, and a battery and pole-changing switch at the main station, whereby the lamp or lamps of any station may be brought into the are circuit or disconnected therefrom, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with an arc-light circuit, including lamps arranged in series, of

an independent circuit connected with an electromagnetic circuit-opening mechanism at a particular station, a shunt-circuit around the lamp or lamps of said station, including the armature of an electromagnetic switch, the electro-magnets of said electromagnetic switch device being included in said independent circuit, a shnnt-wire, w, normally closed around said coils, said shunt-wire being open at a particular period of time during the movement of the electromagnetic circuit-opening mechanism, and the switch and battery at a central station, whereby the electromagnetic switch may be operated when said shunt-wire is opened, as described.

3. Thecombination, with an elcctric'light circuit including lamps placed at different subscribers stations, of an individual electric circuit extending from the central oflice through a circuitopening mechanism placed at each of the different stations, and polarized electromagnetic switch devices, one placed in connection with the shunt-wire around the lamp or lamps of each station and the individual circuit-opening mechanism of said station, and a battery and pole-changing switch at the central station, whereby during the simultaneous operation of the various individual circuit-opening devices the lamp or lamps of any station may be brought into circuit or disconnected therefrom, substantially as described. I

4. The combination, with a circuit includ ing an individual circuit-opening mechanism, of means for throwing current of opposite polarities thereon, and an electro magnetic switch included in said circuit and a shunt circuit around the electric arc-lamp which is opened or closed by said electro magnetic switch accordingly as current of one polarity or the other is sent to line.

5. The combination, with a circuit including an individual circuit-opening mechanism, of means for throwing current of opposite p0- larities thereon, and an electro magnetic switch included in said circuit, and a shuntcircuit around an electric illuminating device included in the electric light circuit, said shunt-circuit being opened by the electromagnetic switch when current of one polarity is sent ever the independent circuit, and closed thereby when current is sent in the opposite direction over said independent circuit, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 2d day of March, A. D. 1888.

BERNARD E. SUNNY.

Witnesses:

GEORGE P. BARTON, Onas. G. HAWLEY. 

